A Perfect Easy Summer Cocktail, Portonic

  I love to make elaborate, interesting and complex cocktails. But when summer rolls around I prefer something that is easy and easily portable to the pool club.

The Portonic fills the bill. A simple cocktail of white port and tonic. I first discovered it in a Food and Wine article discussing the Portonic found at New York’s Macao Trading Co., Food and Wine Article.

It is delightfully refreshing and so easy to make. The biggest challenge is finding white port, not every liquor store carries it. I found mine at Shoppers Vineyard in Clifton.

At Macao, bartenders Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric serve this clever twist on the classic Portuguese white port and tonic with a garnish of grape and cucumber. Recipe

I found another recipe that used lemon and mint which is also quite nice. Ask Men Portonic Cocktail recipe.

I used Dow's white port, $ 12.99 a bottle and it worked fine.  

"Dow's Fine White ages mainly in wood, gaining a rich golden colour and an intense rich nutty aromatic complexity. A certain amount of wine is not wood-aged and is blended in to add freshness and fruit character. On the palate, balanced and smooth, with excellent acidity and a long finish." Winemaker Notes  

I also recommend using Schweppes Tonic over Seagrams. Schweppes has a slightly sweeter and more pleasant flavor for this cocktail.

The Spanish Table in Berkeley CA a specialty food and wine store featuring the products of Spain and Portugal writes about their take on the Portonic here, Pink and Gold, "The ‘Portonic’ cocktail originated in Portugal, up in the Douro Valley where the Port grapes grow, during the blindingly hot summer days"

 

Comments

[personal wealth academy]

i tried this cocktail using both using Schweppes Tonic and Seagrams. and i agree with your palate Schweppes is definitely better.